Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-04-25
narlnnann a soap Peddler.

hGGftIIs5nA i9OsfES euGkcE.
Leo Hartmann, the nihilst, has been
identified in New York in soap pedler
He has been making poor living in that
way for months, but under an assumed
name, and quite unknown to the police; but
he was tempted to make speech in the re.
cent meeting denunciatory of Secretaryof-
State Bayard for arranging treaty with
Russia to extradite assassins of czars, and
recognition has ensued. He is short and
slight. ana of a nervous temperament He
usually wears full blonde beard, and when
| he first came to America he dressed we'll
and tastily. Al present he is inclined to the
uukempt shabhiness that distinguishes most
| Of the radical agitators when they have not
! been retiued by the regular habits OF prison
| life. Hartmann talks freely about the
events that led to bis flight to this country.
| He had not been ia New York long be-
! fore he found himself compelled to Keep
quiet. for q hard attempt was made to bring
an attempt upon the Cars life under the
head of the extraditablo laws. Hartmaln's
friends maintained that be had to flee from
Russia on account o; Il political offence
| that his attempt to remove the Car was but
part of the acknowledged programme OF
poical party And so it was, but there Is no
knowing Just how the affair might have
turned out could Hartmann have been found
when the courts were ashed to make pre-
cedent on the case. Never did hunted man
disappear so completely, and while police
and detectives we're securing the East Side
for him. he was amusing himself by learning
| English ana reading editorial comment on
himself in Mr.. S3nton's library. When the
| chase was abandoned, for it was plain that
| the government would hesitate, if not re-.
fuse 10 surrender Hartmann, the nihilist re.
turned to the light. but ne did not make
much fuss about ii. He says that his at.
| tempt upon the Cars life was the fourth
| that enduring monarch escaped. The eighth
| killed him. Hartmann's effort occurred in
| November, 1879 a little more than year
before he had escaped from prison where he
was confined for his political opinions. The
| policy of terrorism was originated ana In
augurated in 1879, and Hartmann was one
of its FIRST expounders. After two or three
| futile efforts the revolutionary party, which
was centered at ST. Petersburg, deemed 1t
advisable, on account OF the growing severl-
ty Of the police, to break up and scatter its
members through the country. Hartmann
went to village on the Volga, where not
long after @ secret congress Of the revolu.
strengthened in various ways, one of which
was The election CT supreme councii OF
| three persons. This council had absolute
control over the members, and all were
| bound to do its bidding without question.
At its head was woman, Sophie Perovsky,
siuce executed for completely in the success
| ful attempt upon the Car. Hartmann was
elected member of tie next highest au.
thority-the executive committeeman
after the adjournment of the congress
he laid before it q new plan for
prosecuting the work against the Gar. 1t
was in brief to construct mine under his
| i!nperial highness and blow him up. The
| idea took at once, and Hartmann was sent to
st. Petersburg to examine the system OF
canals there with q view to utilizing them IN
some way. 1t was found impractlcab!e on
account of the nature of the soil. His nigh
ness was at that time in the Crlmea, and the
nihilsts, accordingly, sent out searcners
everywhere to determine by what route the
Gar would return home. When Ii was
learned that he would take passage over the
Great Southern Railway, they bought
small house near the track, just outside the
city of Moscow. Hartmann and Sophie
Peroysky. who pretended to be his wife,
lived there and secreted with them num-
| ber of their fellow. conspirators. They had
| $50 feet of tunnel TO construct in order TO
get under the railway track. The difficult
| ties of the task may be imagined when 1t IS
considered that il had to be done with the
utmost secrecy A transverse section OF the
tunnel was thirty-six inches broad at the
base and forty six inches high, triangular in
shape. The miners had got within seven
feet Of the track, and were just under the
edge of the high embankment on which the
read runs at that point, when they decided
that there was not dynamite enough. Ihe
explosive had been manufactured secretly IN
St. Petersburg. Ore of the copsplrators,
named Godenherg, was sent to the capital
to get more He was arrested soon after
his arrival. Meanwhile. the work on the
tunnel was delayed, and the innocent look
ing people in the little house near the
railroad were disturbed by the report
that the Gar had started Tor nome.
There was nothing to do but try the
mine in its incomplete state, and with a
small charge. CIR see the work wasted. All
the conspirators but Sophie Petrovsky, and.
as Hartmann says, zone other"-Hartmann
himself probably-left the neighborhood.
Copper cylinders seven feet long and six
irches in diameter were filed with dyna-
| mite and placed at the end OF the tunnel.
They were connected by wire with GAL
vanic battery stationed in barn at some
distance from the house. Sophie Petrovsky
took up her station at the battery, while her
companion went up the track to watch for
the right train. he was in sight of the barn
aud could give signal when to connect the
wires at the battery. Presently the tram
came rushing along. 1t was the imperial
conveyance, sure enough, and when it was
directly over the mine the comrade gave
Petrnvskv the SIGNAL The connection was